Encia's Lost Princess
by NamelessBirdy
Summary: Anastasia AU. Sofia is the infamous lost daughter of Encia's royal family. She disappeared on the night of an attack on the palace. Most assume she died, but her last remaining relatives hold out hope. Sof is an orphan with no memories of life before the orphanage. One decision puts her on a path to discovering her past, and forging her future.
1. Prologue

**A/N**

This is an AU based off of Don Bluth's Anastasia. I've taken things from both pieces and melded them together, so some things might seem odd. Namely the geography. Yes Encia is a version of Enchancia but it's changed. I've put this island nation in the English Channel between England and France, so the other countries from StF do not exist in this AU. The magic system is changed as well.

Also some characters will be changed up. Mostly Cedric and his family. (I ship Cedfia with a passion and I will have it one way or another! So also be prepared for that later on.)

Anyway, this is my first published fic and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **PROLOGUE:**

A muffled crash came from the other side of the gilded door. All three of Encia's royal children stared at the door in frozen horror. Another crash- this one much closer- knocked the youngest princess back to her senses.

"Over here." Sofia ran to a section a wall practically hidden behind her massive doll house. Her siblings watched in harried confusion as Sofia ran her hands along the paneling. Her hand stopped on something. There was a soft click and then the section of wall opened. It was a passage.

"Hurry!" Sofia urged. Amber scurried in, crawling as best she could in her full skirts. James quickly followed his twin. Sofia gave one last glance around the room she'd lived in merely a year. She shook her head sharply before crawling into the small passage.

Amber and James were further ahead, but they'd stopped. They were both shouting her name. Sofia waved her hands.

"Go! I have to close the door," she shouted. The twins both hesitated. A sudden crack of gunfire rang out. It was just outside the bedroom door.

Amber screamed. She hurried forward, only stopping once to grab James' arm. He hesitated, concerned green eyes locked with determined blue. Sofia nodded to him, and he finally left with Amber.

Sofia turned back to the passage door. Though it was a little heavy for her, she managed to get the thing closed. The passage was plunged in darkness. She took a deep breath. Then she started crawling.

Light momentarily blurred Sofia's vision as she pushed open the door leading outside. She blinked a few times, then looked around. Her siblings, where were her siblings? She scanned the crowds as she ran from the palace. The royal train station wasn't far, and she was soon swept up in the sea of people fleeing.

Suddenly, a pair of blonde heads appeared through the crowd. Amber and James.

Sofia called their names, weaving her way through frantic masses. A train was loading. The twins boarded it just as the final bell rang out. Sofia panicked. She screamed their names, tried to run for the train. It chugged forward.

Finally, they heard their names. The twins wore the same horrified expression. Sofia was trying desperately to keep up. She reached out her hands. James held his arms out, almost falling off the train with how far he reached. But it wasn't enough.

The train built up speed, and Sofia found herself swept away by the crowd. People pushed her left and right. Someone ran into her back and she face planted the ground. She groaned and tried to get up. Then a foot came down on her head.


	2. Chapter One

-10 years later-

Dawn light poured into the small attic room. There was a rickety nightstand sat next to the metal bed. The petite, lean figure on the bed rolled over, groaning as she opened her bright blue eyes.

Sof sat up. The cold wood of the floor hit her feet and set into her bones. She hurried to pull on her wool stockings and boots. Then her dress- which was still way too big even after three years. Oh well, at least it was warm.

She went through the rest of her morning slowly. That day was special. If your last day in the only home you've ever known could be called special.

No- no, she wouldn't let that dampen her spirits. It was her birthday after all.

She walked downstairs, unable to stop fidgeting with the jewel around her neck. It was a deep purple gem smaller than the head of a spoon, and it hung on a delicate gold chain. The only relic of her early childhood.

"Sof!" a chorus of young voices greeted as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She grinned.

"Hello everyone." She sat at the overcrowded table of children. A large bowl of oatmeal was in the middle of the table. No one had taken any yet, as it was her turn to serve. For the last time.

She forced a brighter smile to her face. "Who's hungry?"

Bowls, plates, and even some cups were thrust towards her. She scooped out food for all of the children, and sat down with her own. One bite made it into her mouth before they were asking for seconds.

o-o-o-o

The day flew by in a blur of suddenly meaningless chores and sad smiles. Only the youngest children wondered why everyone was acting odd. Even their usually calm guardian, Mrs. Hefsher had a grim set to her mouth.

Though an air of inevitable sadness clung to her, Sof wished the day could go on and on. She wished that the law allowed her more time. But it was simply how things had to be.

o-o-o-o

All too soon, it was time.

Sof walked down the dirt path lightly covered in snow. Mrs. Hefsher huffed behind her.

"Now, Dunwiddie is down the road. St. Lucia is up the road," Mrs. Hefsher said. She pat her large chest for a moment then pulled out a wad of notes. "Take this."

Sof took the crumpled currency. Then she turned out to the cobble street. The garden gate slammed shut behind her. Mrs. Hefsher left without another word. So, that was how it happened. She was officially an adult. A jobless, homeless, family-less adult.

She looked up and down the tree lined road, everything coated in white. Dusk was setting in. She'd need to start moving soon, or freeze to death. Which meant a decision.

Left, or right? Dunwiddie, or St. Lucia? An assured life of normalcy as Sof the orphan, or an adventure with the possibility for more?

She wrapped her hand around her pendant and closed her eyes. "Give me a sign," she whispered heavenward. For a moment, she actually thought the jewel grew warmer.

Something rustled nearby. Her eyes shot open and scanned the road, before landing on a pile of fur. It moved, and a smile lit up her face. It was a bunny! Sof crouched and held out her hand, clicking her tongue. The creature lifted his grey head. He bounded towards Sof then sniffed her hand.

Sof held her breath as the rabbit nuzzled her hand. He looked into her eyes and it felt like he was seeing her soul. Or maybe the cold was finally getting to her.

As if on cue, the wind picked up speed. Icy air worked through her clothing. The rabbit spooked, heading up the road. Sof grimaced at the ruined moment. Then she spotted the little fur ball not ten feet away. He had an almost expectant look in his dark eyes.

She was really going crazy if she thought a bunny was telling her to follow him.

And yet, she felt like she could trust in that look. She stared at the rabbit that was headed towards St. Lucia. She had asked for a sign. This had to be it.

* * *

A/N: St. Lucia is my own invention. Dunwiddie isn't.


	3. Chapter Two

It was near dawn when Sof finally slogged into the outskirts of the city. Soon, she was swept up in the morning come and go.

St. Lucia was both dreary and bustling in the most jarring way. People walked with their heads down through the dirty streets, but chatter filled the air. The smell of roasting sausages mixed with smog and something sour Sof didn't want to think about.

It was after the fourth leering gaze that Sof tucked her necklace into her dress, pulled her coat further around the rabbit in her arms, and tried to be as invisible as possible. A young boy shoved passed her in a sprint.

Sof wandered up to a newsstand. The man behind the counter was scrawny and reeked of cigar smoke. He glared at her, and she pretended not to notice.

She circled the stall, a board covered in fliers catching her attention. Some were full page government notices, some ads for businesses, and a few just scraps of paper with hastily written messages. She gingerly picked up a help wanted ad.

"Lookin' fer work?"

Sof jumped. She spun to see the owner of the voice was a young woman. Fiery curls spilled out from under the stranger's hood, her smile holding a hint of mischief.

Sof shrugged as she spoke. "Um, I guess. I'm trying to find my place in the world, you know? And I just figured a job is a good way to start." She didn't know why she was being so open with the girl, but something felt nice about having the listening ear.

The girl nodded. "I know that feelin' all too well."

"Ya know," she added. "I've the feelin' you might find what yer lookin' fer at the ol' palace. Ask fer Cedric."

Sof glanced back at the board of fliers. "What's at the palace?"

She turned and frowned. The girl was... gone. The day was just getting stranger and stranger. Well, it was best to make do with what you had. At least in Sof's opinion. She walked up to the man behind the counter.

"Excuse me, could you please tell me where the old palace is?" she asked.

His reply was to grunt and wave off to his right. She frowned, then nodded and left.

o-o-o-o

As she neared the structure, her breathe caught in her throat. It was magnificent and tragic in its decay. Rubble was strewn across the overgrown lawns. The remnants of what was once a paved drive led up to a grand entrance made of marble and metal filigree at least a century old.

She'd heard stories about the palace, about the royal family that died in the raid. She'd read the history books that spoke of that night as nothing more than an afterthought. It was a single paragraph on a page. Yet she felt a deep sadness for it all. People died that night. And as she looked around, she felt like she could almost see figures running as flames licked up the walls.

She shook the image from her head and trudged on. The rabbit- she called Clover though she wasn't sure why- hopped alongside her.

The front doors were boarded up, but the wood crumbled under her touch. She stepped back, and with a couple good kicks, opened a large enough hole for her to crawl through.

Sof took in the entrance hall, waving away the dust that hung heavy in the dead space. Torn tapestries reached up to the high domed ceiling. The remains of a crystal chandelier laid on the dusty carpets. Sof stepped around the shattered pieces on her way to the grand staircase.

She wandered from room to room. Most were marred from the raid and looters, while some looked as if the residents had simply stepped out for a moment. She found herself standing in these untouched places, waiting for _something_. There was a part of her that expected someone to come out from behind a door or call her name from the next room. Part of her desperately wanted this place to be alive. She just didn't know why.

She wiped tears from her cheeks.

One particularly grand hall led to a large doorway, both doors hung open to a giant ballroom. Mirrors lined the walls of the intricate tile dance floor. Chandeliers hung overhead. Sof walked down the short steps to the dance floor. She could see it in her mind's eye.

The chandeliers spread warm light on everything. The mirrors were clean and reflected the people dancing to the music of the orchestra in the corner. Women dressed in glittering jewels and soft silks. Men dressed in perfectly tailored suits. Laughter filled the air, and Sof giggled along to her imaginings.

She imagined her own gown, a full skirt of plum silk. Her pendant nestled above the tight bodice. She spun and set off into a waltz around the room. Dance partner after dance partner; faceless young men for her to spin from. She spun and danced and spun again. Pure laughter poured from her.

"Who in Merlin's name are you?!"


End file.
